VIB raids Sursand BDO’s premises in DA case

Patna: The Vigilance Investigation Bureau (VIB) on Saturday raided multiple premises linked to block development officer (BDO) of Sursand, Krishna Ram, in Sitamarhi district over allegations of possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

The searches, conducted under a DA case registered on March 5, revealed suspected assets worth nearly Rs79.56 lakh — around 60% above his legitimate earnings.Vigilance teams executed court-issued search warrants, targeting multiple sites simultaneously to gather evidence related to the case. The raiding team conducted searches at his rented residence at Raja Bazar in Motihari, his govt-allotted residence and office at Sursand block in Sitamarhi, his ancestral house at Tikait village under Turkouliya police station in East Champaran, and his flat at Lekha Nagar in Patna.

Investigators inspected financial records, property deeds, bank statements and other relevant documents to determine the scale of any unexplained assets. The probe stemmed from multiple complaints received by the department, claiming the official had built up substantial holdings disproportionate to his known salary and legitimate income sources.“A preliminary probe reportedly substantiated these claims, prompting the formal registration of a case and the subsequent issuance of search authorisations.

Teams are currently evaluating both movable and immovable assets accumulated during his tenure in public service, cross-referencing them against his documented earnings,” officials said, adding that the search was ongoing and no significant recovery had been made so far.The vigilance team indicated that a complete picture would emerge only after the inquiry concluded, after which appropriate legal steps would follow if the charges were upheld. “The accused was on alert after the team received information about disproportionate assets. The team already had information that he amassed money beyond his known sources of income,” an official said.